Billiard-chalk holder



(No Model.)

H. A. TYLER & B. MGGOVERN.

BILLIARD CHALK HOLDER.

No. 336,028 Patented Feb. 9; 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM A. TYLER, OF STAMFORD, AND BERNARD MCGOVERN, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

BlLLlARD-CHALK HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,028, dated February 9, 1886.

Application filed December 30, 1884. Serial No. 151,605. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HIRAM A. TYLER and BERNARD MoGovERN, citizens of the United States, residing at Stamford and Bridgeport, respectively, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Billiard-Chalk Holders; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to that class of billiard-chalk holders in which the chalk is held in a fixture attached to one end of a cord,'and is drawn up out of the way when not in use by a spring-actuated pulley, around which the cord is wound, or by a weight at the other end of the cord, as shown in patent to L. B. Holmes, No. 242,776, June 14, 1881.

Our invention has for its object to simplify and improve the construction of these devices, and is a carrying forward of the principles illustrated in the patent referred to above.

With these ends in view we have devised the improvements hereinafter described, which greatly increase the efficiency of the device, and at the same time lessen the cost of production.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a view of the entire device ready for attachment, portions of the cord being broken away; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the chalk-holder detached.

A indicates the cord, at one end of which the chalk-holder B is attached. In the pre ferred form the end of the cord to which the chalk-holder is attached passes through the weight 0, and also through an eye, 0, which steadies it, then upward around pulley D, which is carried by a yoke, E. The yoke is provided with a loop, by which it is suspended from a hook in the ceiling above the table, or is attached to any convenient fixture.

F is an escutcheon, through which the hook is preferably passed to prevent loose plaster, 820., from falling down upon the table. After passing over the pulley the cord passes down square cakes which vary considerably in size.

Heretofore holders have been used having points contracted or turned in for the purpose of holding the chalk, which was forced forward by a spring. This construction, however,has not met the requirements of the trade, owing to the fact that the chalk had to be specially shaped to fit them, that the holder had to be taken apart to put the chalk in, and that the action of the spring was uncertain and unsatisfactory. VVe have therefore devised a chalk-holder which can be produced at trifling expense, in which the piece of chalk is put in from the front, rests firmly upon the bottom 13, and is securely held by the pressure of curved springs B upon all four sides. These springs are made sufliciently yielding to allow for variation in size in the pieces of chalk as they are found in open market. \Ve preferably extend the slots or cuts 13'', which separate the springs, up to and into the bottom, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

It will be observed that the central portion only of the springs comes in contact with the piece of chalk. The outer ends of the springs are curved outward away from the chalk, and below the contact-point the springs again curve outward away from the chalk, then inward again and join the bottom. e thus secure the greatest possible elasticity in the springs, combined with sufficient rigidity to prevent the chalk from ever slipping out.

No whittling or shaping of the pieces are re quired; but each piece, without any preparation, is firmly held by the holder, cannot yield backward when rubbed upon the cue-tip, and may be used until the entire piece is worn away, thus effecting great saving in the consumption of chalk.

The bottoms of the holders are preferably pressed outward at the center, as at 13*, and they are attached to the cord by passing the latter through a hole in the bottom and tying a knot in the-end of the cord. The pieces of chalk are inserted by simply pressing them in, and without appreciable loss of time.

One chalk-holder may be hungover the center of the table; but itwill be found more convenient to suspend one over each end of the table. The knot in the cord should be so adjusted that the holder may be easily reached, but will be entirely out of the way while playing.

When it is desired to use the chalk, the holder is pulled down, thus lifting the weight, which instantly returns the holder to its normal position as soon as it is released.

We are aware that rubber chalk-holders having annular lips to hold the chalk have heretofore been used, and also that sheet-metal chalk-holders having holding-lips on three sides, and into which the chalk was inserted laterally, are not new; and we do not, therefore, wish to be understood as claiming such devices; but these holders are not so convenient as ours, as the chalk cannot be so easily inserted therein.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. An integral sheet metal chalk holder, consisting of a bottom or main portion and curved and recurved spring-lips joinedthere to on all of its sides, said lips being separated 7 2. An'integral sheet-metal chalk-holder,

consisting of a bottom or main portion, B, and

curved spring-lips joined thereto on all of its sides, said main portion or bottom having slots at its corners to increase the elasticity of the said spring-lips, substantially as set forth.

3. An integral sheet-metal chalk-holder, consisting of a bottom or main portion, B, and curved spring-lips joined thereto on all of its sides, said main portion or bottom having slots at its corners to increase the elasticity of the said spi-inglips, combined with a weight, a pulley, and a cord, the latter being attached to the holder and being provided with a knot to serve as a stop for the latter, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a billiard-chalk holder, of a weight, a pulley, and a cord, said cord being attached to said weight and holder, and being provided between the latter and the weight with a knot to serve as a stop for the said holder, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HIRAM A. TYLER. BERNARD MOGOVERN.

\Nitnesses:

A. M. WVoos'rER, J. T. WVoosTER. 

